Ronnie Stanley and John Simpson were active for the Ravens on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, keeping Baltimore’s starting offensive line intact for its home opener. Stanley had been dealing with a toe injury and Simpson with a groin injury, but each managed only one limited practice this week before being cleared.
That matters today because the Ravens were searching for stability up front while also trying to cover for missing firepower at wide receiver. Zay Flowers was out with a hamstring injury, Ja'Kobi Lane was out with a wrist injury and on IR, and Elijah Sarratt was set to make his NFL debut because of those absences. Baltimore can still lean on Derrick Henry, and the line in front of him suddenly looks like the steadier part of the offense.
The timing also gave Baltimore a cleaner matchup picture at home. The Ravens had two of their top wide receivers unavailable, but the offensive line was together, while the Saints came in with Chris Olave and Chase Young expected to play and a long Week 2 inactive list that included Kendre Miller, Zach Wilson, Decamerion Richardson, Isaiah Stalbird, Christen Miller, Mason Murphy and John Ridgeway III.
There was still a catch. Madubuike and Buchanan had not yet logged a practice with full participation, so the Ravens were not operating from a position of perfect health even with Stanley and Simpson back in the lineup. Marlon Humphrey was also active after being questionable with an illness, while Chidobe Awuzie was inactive for Sunday night’s game. Baltimore got the line it wanted, but the rest of the depth chart still had cracks, and that may be where this game is decided.
For Baltimore, the immediate answer is simple: the front five is whole enough to protect the run game and absorb the absences outside. What remains to be seen is whether that stability is enough to keep the offense moving if the receivers remain short-handed and the Saints get the kind of pressure production Trey Hendrickson brought last week, when he posted eight pressures and was slated to play with a cast on his hand.
